Means for making paper partitions



P 1958 o. WAHL ETAL I 2,852,074

MEANS FOR MAKING PAPER PARTITIONS Filed Jan. 2'7. 1953 F .4 q l r m' i 3, i :3

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MEANS FOR MAKING PAPER PARTITIONS Otto Wahl, Holland, Mich., and Charles L. Bradford,

Chicago, Ill., assignors to W. J. Bradford Paper Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 27, 1953, Serial No. 333,472

3 Claims. (Cl. 164-12) This invention relates to an apparatus for making paper partitions, and more particularly concerns an apparatus for making cell dividers for candy box partitions, egg fillers and the like in which the fibrous grain of the material comprising the paper partitions runs lengthwise of the partitions.

In the making of cell dividers, or the like, several parallel strips and transverse dividers of heavy paper are interlocked to form a cell structure of rectangular cells or compartments. A standard procedure for forming the partition strips has been employed without change for a long time. In this procedure two paper sheets parallel to each other and running in the same direction, are fed into a cell divider machine simultaneously, with the grain, of course, running in the direction of the length of the web and thus the direction of travel. One of the sheets is cut into a number of longitudinal strips, while the other sheet is cut to form transverse strips.

In the operation of the cell divider machine, therefore, the longitudinal strips are cut with the grain running longitudinally. The cross strips are necessarily formed with the grain transverse or across the strips. Since the partition strips are narrow and weakened by the interlock notches in their edges, the strips in which the grain runs lengthwise are much stronger and more resistant to tearing than those strips in which the grain runs crosswise.

By the present invention, however, such difierence in strength between the crosswise and lengthwise partition strips is obviated. Both sets of partition strips have the grain running in the same direction, that is, longitudinally so that in an assembly of cell dividers, all of the partition strips are of equal strength.

It is, accordingly, an important object of the present invention to provide improved means for making cell-type paper partitions in which the grain structure runs lengthwise of the partition.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel apparatus for successively punching, slotting, slitting and cutting ofi partition strips formed from a paper web so that each partition strip has the grain structure running lengthwise of the partition.

A still further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is constructed.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred illustrative embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic top plan view of a machine for making paper partitions according to the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a pair of partition strips made by the machine shown in Figure 1 and derived from contiguous portions of a paper web;

Figure 3 is a schematic view of the partition strips assembled into a well known form of cellular filler;

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the portion nited States Patent of the cellular filler indicated by circle IV in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view partly in elevation taken substantially on the line V-V of Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary end perspective view of the punch and slotter structure substantially as shown in Figure 5.

In Figure 1, a machine or mechanism 10 is shown for making paper partitions equipped in accordance with this invention. The complete machine comprises a group of parts, arranged to produce a series of operations on a continuous paper web, or stock sheet 11, comprising a table 9, a punching and slotting station 12, a slitting station 14, a roller drive 13, and a cut-ofi station 15. The web or stock sheet 11 is formed of paper of suitable grade and gauge in which the fiber grain, indicated schematically in Fig. 2, as G, runs longitudinally, in the direction of feed as indicated by the directional arrow in Figure 1.

The general scheme of operation of the machine as here represented is such that in the progress of the paper web, apertures and slots are first produced. The web is then longitudinally cut into a plurality of continuous partition strips, and these strips are then cut into uniform partition lengths. The nature of the slitting cuts is such that the apertures and slots punched in the web are transformed into equal marginal assembly notches in edgewise contiguous strips.

The paper Web 11 is advanced in substantially a single plane along a substantially flat table 9 by means such as a cylindrical roller drive 13 to move the web through the various operative stations of the machine. The roller drive is motivated by a drive mechanism (not shown) which intermittently drives the roller drive in coordination with the operation of the mechanism at the stations 12, 14 and 15.

The paper web 11 is passed first through the punching and slotting station 12, which comprises a vertically reciprocating cross frame member or head 16 which carries punches 17 uniformly aligned across the web. Each punch comprises a rectangular central body block portion or head 18 from which depends an elongated punch shank 19 which has a die or punch end portion 20 of diamond or square cross sectional shape.

Simple and efiicent means are provided for setting up the punches in any transverse spacing arrangement which maybe desired. To this end, the body 18 is outwardly stepped from the shank and fits non-rotatively, but slid ably adjustably into a longitudinal recess or groove 26a in the lower face of the head 16. From the upper side of the rectangular body portion 18 of the punch projects a threaded stem 21 which extends upwardly through a longitudinal slot 22 centered in the head 16 with respect to the groove 26a. To retain the stem in selected position in the slot, a nut 23 is screwed onto the stem in thrusting relation against a washer 24 about the stem and abutting the margins defining the slot 22 at the bottom of an upper longitudinal groove 26 in the head 16.

In accordance with this invention, a pair of slotting blades 25 are carried by the punch shank 19 to produce opposed slots 25a in the paper web communicating with the aperture formed therein by punch end 20. These slotting blades 25 are vertically disposed in the same plane, but projecting from opposite sides of the shank, and have their slotting edges spaced from the punching die end 20 of the shank. The slotted apertures constitute opposed slotted openings in contiguous strips 34 that are to be subsequently formed from the web, as will be explained hereinbelow.

As shown on the drawing in Figure 1, the cross frame member or head 16 is reciprocated vertically by the drive mechanism (not shown) as the paper web progresses along the table 9 to produce in the web parallel rows of aligned, substantially diamond shaped apertures having aligned transversely disposed slots 25a of equal length extending from opposite transverse corners of each aperture. This r sults. n prov d ng in t e pape web lon itudinally spaced gr ups of tra sversely aligned. series of the slots 25a spaced endwise as best seen in Figure l and with the spacing between the ends of the slots, sub: stantially less than the length of the slots (Figs, 1 and 2) so that when the web is severed into partition strips the respective portions of the slots that extend from one edge of each of the partition strips will extend at their inner ends beyond the longitudinal center of the respective partition strip.

The web is transformed into elongated strips, at the slitting station 14. For this purpose a number of rotary cutters or slitters 27, preferably in the form of rotary disk blades, are disposed forwardly adajacent to the punching and slotting device 12 and spaced along a shaft or cutter bar to cut the paper web into longitudinally extending strips which have their grain structure running longitudinally of the length. Whereas all the slitter blades may be mounted on a single shaft, for convenience of assembly and repair the cutters may be mounted on more than one shaft. To this end, two sets of the rotary cutters 27 are provided, which are respectively mounted upon a pair of transversely disposed shafts 28 and 29 supporting the sets of cutters in successively operable, relatively staggered relation.

The paper sheet 11 is cut into its final strip width in two stages. First, the cutters 27 on shaft 28 form continuous strips which are twice the desired width. The cutters 27 on the shaft 29 then bisect the strips to produce elongated strips 34 which have the desired width as shown in Figure 2. Herein the rotary cutters on the shaft 28 serve to bisect the diamond shaped apertures formed by the punches. This converts the diamond shaped openings into notches 31 having converging lead-in cam edges 33. The edges 33 lead into slots 250 so as to facilitate the engagement of interfitting strips when constructing the well known form of cellular filler illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.

The final stage in the fabrication of the partition strips comprises cutting off the elongated strips 34, after they leave the slitting station, into partition strips 35 of predetermined lengths. This is performed at the cut-off station 15 by a reciprocating, chop-off type cutter 36, which is arranged transversely of the direction of feed, and is coordinated with the intermittent feed of the paper stock strips 34, by the roller device 13 interposed between the cutters 27 and the cut-off cutter-36, to cut the strips into the partition strips 35 of predetermined length.

The completed strips 35 are then ready to be assembled into cellular fillers in the manner illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, by any apparatus or method which may be desired.

From the foregoing it will, therefore, be understood that according to the present invention a novel apparatus is provided for forming longitudinal fiber grain partition strips in a highly economical manner with minimum equipment and more particularly about half the number of punches and slotters heretofore employed to notch and slot an equivalent number of strips. Furthermore, novel means are provided for punching and slotting a paper web to produce simultaneously in the contiguous margins of adjoining strips of the paper web the desired interlock notch arrangement.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. In combination in apparatus for producing paper partition strips from a paper web, a substantially fiat table structure over which a paper web is adapted to be fed from a source, intermittently actuated punching means disposed across the path of movement of the paper web e e t bl a op r bl tow r and w y from table for forming spaced openings in the paper web in series extending transversely across the web andduring a dwell in the forward movement of the web, slitting means positioned over the table and in spaced adjacency to the punching means in the direction of web advance for slitting the web longitudinally into strips while it is being fed, intermittently rotated feed roller means positioned over the table in spaced relation beyond the slitting means in the direction of paper web movement and by engagement of the slit strips intermittently feeding the 'web coordinated withthe punching means to afford proper punching dwells in the movement of the web, and intermittently actuated chop-off means located beyond the feed roller means in the direction of paper web advance and movable toward and away from the table structure for cutting the strips transversely into partition strips of predetermined length and in coordination with the punching means and feed roller means during dwells in the movement of the web.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the slitting means comprise two staggered series of slitters operable respectively to slit the web through the punched openings and in line between the openings so that the strips into which the web is slit will have notches along one edge and a straight edge along the opposite edge in each instance.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the punching means comprise a series of punching members operable in each punching cycle of the punching means to form the spaced openings with a central diamond shaped aperture and laterally elongated narrower slots running therefrom in each transverse direction with respect to each of the openings.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 412.011 Clark Ma 2 1 2 639 5 9 19 ---r---.-, H ,3 0 1,198,5 Am n --.:-'--r S tl9 1 .6 1,257,321 Cumfer et a]. Feb. 2 1918 ,289 9 Hers n 31 19.1 1,441,359 Langston Jan. 9, 1923 1. 32. Lan ston-"w. A 9 1,712,269 Hanauer May 7, 1929 1,745,060 Russell Jan. 23, 1930 2,222.84 H ph ey --T ov- 2 4. 2 36 6 6 Mud ma 4. 1 42 299 53 De Lemm T------=---.-- 9?- 2 1 2 2,388,546 Jackson Nov. 6, 1945 2. 333 H rm n Opt- -0, 1 2,636,423 Cunningham Apr. 28, 1953 .T-.,-'-.- I 2,703,143 Good et al Mar. 1, 1955 

